Introduction

The Cape Town New Year’s Carnival is one of the world’s great urban festivals. While it’s similar, in many ways, to Carnival, in Rio de Janeiro, and Mardi Gras, in New Orleans, its history, music, and style is unique.

I was lucky enough to have been able to spend three Carnival seasons with two of Cape Town’s leading troupes, the Pennsylvania Crooning Minstrels and the Fabulous Woodstock Starlites. They appear in many of the photos in this gallery.

Much more information about the Cape Town New Year’s Carnival is available on the FAQ page, which you can find on my home page.